2009 FIM Motocross Spain Photos

May 19, 2009

Round 6 of the 2009 FIM Motocross Championship brought the rider to Catalunya, Spain. Jonathan Barragan became the first ever Spaniard to win a Motocross GP at home in Spain since 1962, while Cairoli remains at the top of the standings after taking the second heat. Check out the full 2009 FIM Motocross Spain Results.

Barragan: 'It was a great feeling to win here at home and it is a big honour to be the first Spanish winner of a Spanish MX GP.'

The young German was held up by slow back markers and was unable to make the break she needed to challenge the French rider Lancelot.

Max had a good start in the first race but then two riders crashed in front of him and he had to restart from back at eighteenth place. He would end in seventh for Moto 1.

Nagl passed Philippaets to take second in Race 2.

American Sarah Whitmore (KTM) took eight in the second moto for an overall 11th for the round.

The first moto was made easier for Barragan after many of the other riders were involved in crashes, allowing him to get out front with a good lead and win Moto 1.

Spanish rider Jonathan Barragan (KTM) was fifth on the line, but knowing his home track well and having the crowd behind him helped propel him to the front.

Barragan on the MX1 Race 1 podium capturing his second win of the season. The Spainard now sits second in the Championship, 36 points behind Cairoli.

The MX1 overall podium (left to right): David Philippaerts took second with 40 points, Jonathan Barragan with the overall victory bagged 43 points, and Antonio Cairoli was third with 38 points.

Anthony Boissiere of HDI KTM France returned from injury to ride to an impressive second moto victory in front of Suzuki's Ken Roczen. Boissiere would take third overall for the weekend.

Boissiere (KTM), 3rd overall: 'I had a good start in the first race and I could overtake quite a few riders. Then I took the lead in the second race and I was able to hang onto it until the end. This is a result that has made me feel very strong. I won my last moto in 2005 but there's a big difference between the Anthony Boissiere of 2005 and what I am today.'

The Portuguese rider Rui Goncalves (Red Bull KTM) was positioned second to pole-winner Davide Guarneri (Yamaha Monster Energy), but managed to take and keep the lead in the first moto of MX2.

Meanwhile in MX2, Rui Goncalves (KTM) would celebrate his 24th birthday with more than just a cake.

Goncalves also led for the first half of the second race, but then struck his head rather heavily in a crash. He managed to save a many points as possible coming in fourth.

Goncalves' second overall still keeps his championship aspirations alive and in fourth place he is just 17 points shy of the front runner Marvin Musquin with ample opportunity to narrow the gap.

WMX podium

Laier WMX

Laier, WMX overall winner: 'I felt very confident in the first heat and I found very good lines. I had some problems in the second heat, especially with lapped riders and Livia (Lancelot) was very fast. But this is a good track and I like it.'

After a strong start Max Nagl (Red Bull KTM) would lead the second moto for most of the race.

Nagl has also had some problems with a hand injury in the last races, so he was still satisfied to get second in Moto 2.

Max Nagl had a 13 second lead going into the final two laps of Moto 2 when a lapped rider crashed in front of him and spoiled his chances of winning.

After taking second in the first moto, KTM's Jeremy van Horebeek stole a last minute MX2 GP victory win when he slipped past KTM factory rider Rui Goncalves in the closing seconds of the second moto to take third place.

Van Horebeek, MX2 Spain overall winner: 'This was a real surprise for me. I was already feeling well and strong on Saturday and I knew I was very fast. I was so fast in the last five minutes of the second moto that I didn’t even think about winning.'

De Dycker took sixth in Race 2 of MX1, for a disappointing overall of 12th.

The Belgian Suzuki rider Ken de Dycker suffered a double crash and DNF in the first moto.

The start of the second moto of MX1.

De Dycker is now third in the championship standings and stares at a 48 point gap to leader Antonio Cairoli.

Barragan, 4th in the second moto: 'I did have a crash in the second race and some guys passed me but by then my shoulder was starting to give me some problems. It was also very hot today, but that didn't really bother me because I am quite used to this kind of weather.'

Billy Mackenzie (Honda) was in second place during the opening laps of Moto 1 but was knocked to the ground in a very ambitious overtaking manoeuvre by Antonio Cairoli. The Scot finished 11th for the race.

Mackenzie (CAS Honda): 'In the second race I had a nice lead at the start and settled in a rhythm which just got harder for me to maintain consistently at the end. I was making a few mistakes and fifth was the best I could do. Overall, not a fantastic day, but at least we got some points.'

After the fall Cairoli dropped back to eighteenth. In spite of a leaking fuel tank Cairoli battled back to fourth but hit the ground when trying to overtake Josh Coppins. The Sicilian crossed the line in eighth and with a set of sore ribs.

The CAS Honda team were briefly back to full strength with Cedric Melotte returning from the back complaint that had forced him out of action from the second round in Bulgaria.

Melotte sadly could not last beyond the second practice session before having to withdraw suffering from severe pain. CAS Honda will be announcing Melotte’s replacement for both the World and British MX1 Championship.

LS Honda’s Clement Desalle held off the attentions of world champion David Philippaerts in a very strong first moto for the Belgian in which he captured a career-best second position.

Desalle is likely to become a future Grand Prix winner if he continues riding with similar form.

Desalle: 'I had a good start in the first heat and was second after the first few corners. I felt good physically and could keep the speed and position. But Barragan was way too strong and out of my reach.'

Clement Desalle took third in Race 1 of MX1, with the Belgian rider likely to become a future Grand Prix winner if he continues riding with similar form.

Kawasaki's Steven Frossard took a solid fifth in Race 1 followed by sixth in Race 2.

Laier rode an aggressive second race and looked like she could challenge Lancelot in the final stages to complete the double.

Stephanie Laier took her first 2009 WMX win at Bellpuig ahead of Papenmeier and Lancelot.

Kawasaki Racing’s Lancelot took her revenge by winning the final moto after letting Papenmeier lead for one single lap.

Livia Lancelot's attempt to pass Laier for the lead during Moto 1 ended in a crash, that sent the Kawasaki rider back to fifth for the race.

Marvin Musquin, NGS Honda:
'Not the best GP for me but it is really nice to have the red plate. The track was OK at the beginning of the weekend but today is wasn’t easy because there was only one line and it was hard to overtake. I made a mistake and crashed in the first moto and then was stuck behind Aubin and lost my rhythm and concentration in the second. Mentally I should have been a bit more focussed this weekend but we will do our best to keep the red plate now.'

In the MX2 contest Marvin Musquin did not enjoy his best Grand Prix of the season. A crash in Moto1 left him down in fourteenth.

Musquin took ninth in Race 2. However, the Honda CRF250R rider's eleventh overall finish was enough to give him the lead in the MX2 championship.

Billy Mackenzie (Honda) was in second place during the opening laps of Moto 1 but was knocked to the ground in a very ambitious overtaking manoeuvre by Antonio Cairoli. The Scot finished 11th for the race.

With Cairoli's fourth consecutive trophy this year the Sicilian increases his championship lead by 11 points.

A mistake by Nagl on the penultimate lap allowed Cairoli to take the lead and move into the bottom spot on the rostrum.

Josh Coppins was sixth overall with finishes of fourth and eighth. The New Zealander was proactive at the start of the motos but did not have the speed or extra energy to be able to push and affect the leaders in the later stages.

Philippaerts was again a protagonist in the second moto and worked hard in third position to catch and pass Mackenzie. Cairoli followed his countryman until the closing stages when he pulled ahead and then pursued leader Max Nagl.

Despite still recovering from a broken left index finger and a poor 14th qualifying position, Yamaha Monster Energy's Philippaerts fought his way to a strong third.

After taking second overall in Spain Philippaerts sits fifth in the championship trailing his teammate Coppins by one point and Cairoli by 55.

Philippaerts (Yamaha), 2nd: 'I did not expect this because my thumb gave me a lot of problems yesterday, but today I could ride well and quite easily and I am really happy for the result; it is a bit of a surprise. I did not do any training since Portugal, only treatment, so I felt a bit tired towards the end of the second moto but obviously I am really pleased with two third positions. My doctor believes that I should be almost back to normal for the next Grand Prix.'

Pepenmeier in WMX

Suzuki's Larissa Papermeier took second in Moto 1 followed by third on Sunday, earing second overall for the WMX Spain Round.

An FIM Motocross photographer who supports peace, just not on the track.

The Start of the FIM Women's Motocross on Saturday.

Kawasaki's Vuillemin took fifth in Race 1 of MX1.

Round 6 of MX1 brought the riders to the sunny Bellpuig circuit in Spain, attracting all with a penchent for the wild.

The WMX overall podium (left to right): Suzuki's Papermeier in second, KTM's Laier with the win, rounded off by Kawasaki's Lancelot.